381 TJie Traveller's Oracle. [Ocx. 



" Never give any Order for Wine to Waiters, go to the Master or Mistress of 

 the Inn, and request them to oblige you with the best Wine, &c. that they have ; 

 and beg of them to recommend whether it shall be Sherry, Madeira, &c. telling 

 them that you are perfunctory about the Name and the Age of the Wine, and 

 particular only about the QUALITY of it. 



" There are many particulars as to Meat, Drink, Exercise, Sleep, Cold, Heat, 

 &c. which people soon find out from their own Observations, which they will 

 generally find their best Guide. " There is perhaps no article of our usual Diet, 

 however Insignificant, or however Important, which has not been at one time 

 highly extolled, and at another extremely abused, by those who have published 

 Books on Diet, who, wedded to their own whimsies, and estimating the Strength 

 of other Men's Stomachs by the Weakness of their Own, have, as the fit took 

 ""era, attributed " all the Evils flesh is heir to," to eating either too much or too 

 little Salt, Sugar, Spice, Bread, Butter, Pastry, Poultry, Pork, Veal, 

 Beef, Lamb, and indeed all Meats, excepting Mutton, have been alternately 

 prescribed and proscribed. A prudent Traveller will cautiously abstain from every 

 thing that his own Experience has taught him is apt to produce Indigestion." 



The whole matter delivered here is orthodox ; especially the advice as 

 to considering " what you are likely to get." when you arrive at a strange 

 inn, rather than " what you would like to have." There can be.no doubt 

 that the best order whenever you do not feel quite confident of your 

 ground is (delivered to the master of the house in person) " Send me up 

 what you can recommend." No man can be expected to acknowledge 

 that any thing that he has to sell is bad ; but he may be disposed to treat 

 you fairly if you relieve him from the dilemma of such a confession ; which 

 you do and compliment him into the bargain by desiring that he will 

 send you up what he pleases. For wine at an inn of respectability you 

 must call for it ; but recollect that there the obligation ceases. " Live, and 

 let live," should be every liberal man's motto : therefore, according to the 

 dictum of a writer of great experience in these matters, " Let your hosts 

 live by ordering the liquor, and live yourself by forbearing to drink it." 

 N. B, If you are economically disposed, you may as well, on such an 

 occasion, order the cheaper description of wine ; as the name will make 

 no difference in the bin that it comes from, and it makes some difference 

 in the bill. If you are a wine drinker, and must perforce no matter at 

 what hazards swallow something for your comfort, recollect that port 

 wine may be rendered drinkable by mulling, which, in its raw state, 

 would have been impracticable altogether. 



The next chapter is " Of a Traveller's Appearance;" and the author 

 sets out with the following sentence : 



"Wear a plain Dress; upon no account display any Ring, Watch, Trinkets, 

 &c. nor assume any Airs of Consequence." 



Here we don't quite agree with our excellent friend. He does not mean, 

 by this caution, as to assumption of " consequence" u Don't make an ass 

 of yourself;" or, " give yourself the airs of a lord, or a swindler ;" but 

 " Be retiring, and quiet generally in your demands and your deportment."' 

 Now we are not quite sure that, in a strange vicinity, this policy though 

 excellent where a man is resident may not be carried too far. He who 

 makes himself of no importance, will be apt sometimes to be made of no 

 importance by other people. We should say " Exact calmly, but most 

 rigidly, every respect and attention which is your due : he who passes over 

 a mistake to-day will infallibly have to make some arrangement or other 

 with a negligence to-morrow." That which immediately follows this 

 passage, however, is worthy of the strictest attention : 



